Diana Kool discusses the potential impact of climate change on the global economy and financial markets, focusing on energy sources and the growth of renewable forms
The latest ‘World in 2030’ foresight from Future Agenda looks at how electric planes may be the answer to faster decarbonisation of aviation.
As the pressure to clean aviation builds, using electric planes for short and medium-haul flights gathers support. Although some technological challenges are significant, investment and regulation align to accelerate development.
A growth in the use of electric planes has the potential to significantly cut aviation emissions, reduce noise and also potentially provide cheaper travel. At a time when, globally, we are flying more, there is a tangible opportunity to accelerate new technology development to electrify aviation. While some governments and cities plan for more airports to accommodate and stimulate more flying, public pushback against higher emissions builds with little interest in temporary solutions such as more carbon offsetting. As a result, the case for truly clean aviation gains wider support and brings together deeper collaborations across research, manufacturers, airlines, cities and travellers.
Drawn from multiple expert discussions around the world, this foresight is one of 50 looking at the key issues for the next decade that are being shared throughout 2020.
https://www.futureagenda.org/foresights/electricaviation/
Il World Energy Focus, nuovo mensile online della WEC's community, una e-publication gratuita per essere sempre aggiornato sugli sviluppi del settore energetico. Il World Energy Focus contiene news, interviste esclusive e uno spazio dedicato agli eventi promossi dai singoli Comitati Nazionali.
A history of the solar century so far: a tale of disruption, denial, and exis...Jeremy Leggett
An account of the oil industry's response to climate risk and the emergence of low-cost solar since that late 1990s as seen by a bit-part player in the drama. As presented in the closing keynote at the UBS Renewables and Energy Transition Virtual Conference, 17th September.
BP's annual energy forecast. This is the first year they've stretched the timeline--from 2030 to 2035. According to BP forecasters, global energy demand will rise 41% from now until 2035 with 95% of that growth coming from "emerging economies." Also, gas as a source of energy is growing fastest for fossil fuels and by 2035 is expected to be at parity with coal--each providing about 27% of power needs in 2035. BP says shale gas will make up 68% of U.S. gas production by 2035.
This year's SITE Energy Day was devoted to discussing the consequences of oil price fluctuations for markets and actors of the economy. The half-day conference engaged policy-oriented scholars and experts from the business community to discuss the impact of oil price fluctuations on macro fundamentals, international trade, strategies of oil cartels, strategic risk management, and opportunities for change in energy systems.
Luca De Lorenzo, Senior Researcher at Stockholm Environment Institute, gave a presentation "Low oil prices and the new climate economy: constraint or opportunity?"
For more information and research analysis please visit: www.hhs.se/site
The latest ‘World in 2030’ foresight from Future Agenda looks at how electric planes may be the answer to faster decarbonisation of aviation.
As the pressure to clean aviation builds, using electric planes for short and medium-haul flights gathers support. Although some technological challenges are significant, investment and regulation align to accelerate development.
A growth in the use of electric planes has the potential to significantly cut aviation emissions, reduce noise and also potentially provide cheaper travel. At a time when, globally, we are flying more, there is a tangible opportunity to accelerate new technology development to electrify aviation. While some governments and cities plan for more airports to accommodate and stimulate more flying, public pushback against higher emissions builds with little interest in temporary solutions such as more carbon offsetting. As a result, the case for truly clean aviation gains wider support and brings together deeper collaborations across research, manufacturers, airlines, cities and travellers.
Drawn from multiple expert discussions around the world, this foresight is one of 50 looking at the key issues for the next decade that are being shared throughout 2020.
https://www.futureagenda.org/foresights/electricaviation/
Il World Energy Focus, nuovo mensile online della WEC's community, una e-publication gratuita per essere sempre aggiornato sugli sviluppi del settore energetico. Il World Energy Focus contiene news, interviste esclusive e uno spazio dedicato agli eventi promossi dai singoli Comitati Nazionali.
A history of the solar century so far: a tale of disruption, denial, and exis...Jeremy Leggett
An account of the oil industry's response to climate risk and the emergence of low-cost solar since that late 1990s as seen by a bit-part player in the drama. As presented in the closing keynote at the UBS Renewables and Energy Transition Virtual Conference, 17th September.
BP's annual energy forecast. This is the first year they've stretched the timeline--from 2030 to 2035. According to BP forecasters, global energy demand will rise 41% from now until 2035 with 95% of that growth coming from "emerging economies." Also, gas as a source of energy is growing fastest for fossil fuels and by 2035 is expected to be at parity with coal--each providing about 27% of power needs in 2035. BP says shale gas will make up 68% of U.S. gas production by 2035.
This year's SITE Energy Day was devoted to discussing the consequences of oil price fluctuations for markets and actors of the economy. The half-day conference engaged policy-oriented scholars and experts from the business community to discuss the impact of oil price fluctuations on macro fundamentals, international trade, strategies of oil cartels, strategic risk management, and opportunities for change in energy systems.
Luca De Lorenzo, Senior Researcher at Stockholm Environment Institute, gave a presentation "Low oil prices and the new climate economy: constraint or opportunity?"
For more information and research analysis please visit: www.hhs.se/site
The global context of Solarcentury's work: my presentation at the company's q...Jeremy Leggett
Latest developments in matters relevant to the solar industry in energy, climate, tech and the future of civilisation, spanning the period 24th July to 21st October.
Covid-19 has accelerated the stranding of fossil-fuel-economy assets. What do...Jeremy Leggett
My latest Big Picture update for the team at Solarcentury, built around the latest report from Carbon Tracker, "Decline and Fall", published 4th June.
Apologies for typo in slide 4. Date in bottom caption should read 2023 not 2003.
Why the UK government finally gave up on fracking shale for oil and gas. And ...Jeremy Leggett
After years of dogged support for fracked shale gas and oil, at the expense of clean energy, the Conservatives finally gave in today. This is a significant victory for environmentalists. But the implications are global, and are fully explored in this presentation.
The annual Energy Outlook reflects our best effort to describe a “most likely” trajectory of the global energy system, based on our views of likely economic and population growth, as well as developments in policy and technology
This 2015 edition updates our view of the likely path of global energy markets to 2035. We make assumptions on changes in policy, technology and the economy, based on extensive internal and external consultations, using a range of analytical tools to build a single “most likely” view.
The Outlook highlights the continuous change in the energy system – the changing fuel mix, the changing patterns of trade – as it adapts to meet the world’s growing energy needs. It also highlights the challenge of delivering energy supplies which are sustainable, secure and affordable. The Outlook emphasizes the role of competition and market forces in driving technology and innovation to help us meet that challenge.
A search for hope on the climate front lines in 2020Jeremy Leggett
My presentation at Cambridge University on 5th March. In it I describe an idea for a new people-power company to help lead the charge to a zero-carbon world by decarbonising, recarbonising, and pressuring foot draggers: ZeroCarbon Revolution. A video of the talk can be found at https://climateseries.com/
For my business communications class we had to write a business article. Clean energy and economics have always interested me, turns out they go together more than we thought.
Il World Energy Focus, nuovo mensile online della WEC's community, una e-publication gratuita per essere sempre aggiornato sugli sviluppi del settore energetico. Il World Energy Focus contiene news, interviste esclusive e uno spazio dedicato agli eventi promossi dai singoli Comitati Nazionali.
Q2 2019: A chronology in pictures & charts of developments in climate, energy...Jeremy Leggett
One person’s collated precis-for-the-busy of the last three months in the related dramas of climate change, energy transition, big tech and the future of civilisation.
-cuadro de funciones del lenguaje
-influencias y mecanismos de auto identificación y su uso
-el papel de la sociedad en el desarrollo del lenguaje, partiendo de sus impresiones a partir del largometraje.
The global context of Solarcentury's work: my presentation at the company's q...Jeremy Leggett
Latest developments in matters relevant to the solar industry in energy, climate, tech and the future of civilisation, spanning the period 24th July to 21st October.
Covid-19 has accelerated the stranding of fossil-fuel-economy assets. What do...Jeremy Leggett
My latest Big Picture update for the team at Solarcentury, built around the latest report from Carbon Tracker, "Decline and Fall", published 4th June.
Apologies for typo in slide 4. Date in bottom caption should read 2023 not 2003.
Why the UK government finally gave up on fracking shale for oil and gas. And ...Jeremy Leggett
After years of dogged support for fracked shale gas and oil, at the expense of clean energy, the Conservatives finally gave in today. This is a significant victory for environmentalists. But the implications are global, and are fully explored in this presentation.
The annual Energy Outlook reflects our best effort to describe a “most likely” trajectory of the global energy system, based on our views of likely economic and population growth, as well as developments in policy and technology
This 2015 edition updates our view of the likely path of global energy markets to 2035. We make assumptions on changes in policy, technology and the economy, based on extensive internal and external consultations, using a range of analytical tools to build a single “most likely” view.
The Outlook highlights the continuous change in the energy system – the changing fuel mix, the changing patterns of trade – as it adapts to meet the world’s growing energy needs. It also highlights the challenge of delivering energy supplies which are sustainable, secure and affordable. The Outlook emphasizes the role of competition and market forces in driving technology and innovation to help us meet that challenge.
A search for hope on the climate front lines in 2020Jeremy Leggett
My presentation at Cambridge University on 5th March. In it I describe an idea for a new people-power company to help lead the charge to a zero-carbon world by decarbonising, recarbonising, and pressuring foot draggers: ZeroCarbon Revolution. A video of the talk can be found at https://climateseries.com/
For my business communications class we had to write a business article. Clean energy and economics have always interested me, turns out they go together more than we thought.
Il World Energy Focus, nuovo mensile online della WEC's community, una e-publication gratuita per essere sempre aggiornato sugli sviluppi del settore energetico. Il World Energy Focus contiene news, interviste esclusive e uno spazio dedicato agli eventi promossi dai singoli Comitati Nazionali.
Q2 2019: A chronology in pictures & charts of developments in climate, energy...Jeremy Leggett
One person’s collated precis-for-the-busy of the last three months in the related dramas of climate change, energy transition, big tech and the future of civilisation.
-cuadro de funciones del lenguaje
-influencias y mecanismos de auto identificación y su uso
-el papel de la sociedad en el desarrollo del lenguaje, partiendo de sus impresiones a partir del largometraje.
Il World Energy Focus, nuovo mensile online della WEC's community, una e-publication gratuita per essere sempre aggiornato sugli sviluppi del settore energetico. Il World Energy Focus contiene news, interviste esclusive e uno spazio dedicato agli eventi promossi dai singoli Comitati Nazionali.
Il World Energy Focus, nuovo mensile online della WEC's community, una e-publication gratuita per essere sempre aggiornato sugli sviluppi del settore energetico. Il World Energy Focus contiene news, interviste esclusive e uno spazio dedicato agli eventi promossi dai singoli Comitati Nazionali.
published in 2022
RMI views
(not necessarily EFOW point of view: check on facts, realities and views, and ways of going about change: urgencies (priorities), realities and our true opportunities!)
2013 – 2014 Strategy and Sustainability Highlights ReportSchneider Electric
Since sustainable development is an integral part of Schneider Electric’s strategy, our Group is publishing a combined Business and Sustainable Development document (Key figures, interviews with stakeholders, actions in favor of new behaviors, …).
Executive Summary for the IEA's annual World Energy Outlook, the 2016 edition. The Outlook predicts natural gas use will continue to rise, while coal will continue to fall. "We see clear winners for the next 25 years, natural gas, but especially wind and solar, replacing the champion of the previous 25 years, coal," said Fatih Birol, IEA's executive director.
Il World Energy Focus è il nuovo mensile online della WEC's community, una e-publication gratuita per essere sempre aggiornato sugli sviluppi del settore energetico. Il World Energy Focus contiene news, interviste esclusive e uno spazio dedicato agli eventi promossi dai singoli Comitati Nazionali.
IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology (IOSR-JESTFT) multidisciplinary peer-reviewed Journal with reputable academics and experts as board member. IOSR-JESTFT is designed for the prompt publication of peer-reviewed articles in all areas of subject. The journal articles will be accessed freely online.
Statistical Review of World Energy 2021 Full report - BPAbdelmounimTOUILEB
The COVID-19 pandemic had a dramatic impact
on energy markets, with both primary energy
and carbon emissions falling at their fastest rates
since the Second World War. Nevertheless,
renewable energy continued to grow, with solar
power recording its largest ever increase.
WWF: Policy Expectations for COP 19 WarsawWWF ITALIA
Oggi possiamo salvare il clima e conquistare un futuro di benessere per noi e i nostri figli. Bruciare i combustibili fossili per procurarsi energia e calore ha portato la concentrazione di CO2 in atmosfera ai livelli di 3 milioni di anni fa. Dobbiamo riconquistare l'energia, puntare sulle fonti rinnovabili e l’efficienza energetica. Occorre investire le risorse pubbliche e private nel nostro futuro. E invece i nostri soldi continuano a finanziare il passato fossile. E' ora di cambiare noi, non il clima." Mariagrazia Midulla, Responsabile Clima ed Energia
http://www.wwf.it/riprenditilenergia.cfm
Etude PwC Low Carbon Economy Index (oct. 2015)PwC France
L'année 2014 a marqué un tournant en matière de réduction des émissions de carbone dans les économies du G20. C’est ce que révèle le cabinet d’audit et de conseil PwC dans la 7ème édition de son étude annuelle « Low carbon Economy index », qui modélise l'intensité carbone des grandes économies – à savoir les émissions des gaz à effet de serre liées à la consommation d'énergie par million de dollars de PIB. En effet, l'intensité carbone a chuté de 2,7% en 2014, soit sa plus forte baisse depuis 2000.
La France fait office d’exemple : elle a réduit son intensité carbone de plus de 9% en 2014, ce qui représente la 2ème plus forte réduction des pays du G20, juste derrière le Royaume-Uni (- 10,9%).
Blackrock advises - governments, stakeholders, economists increasingly see higher carbon prices as a cost-effective way to achieve emissions reductions. Just 80 companies are responsible for 50 pc of global emissions by listed companies.
September 2016
OECD Green Talks LIVE - Investing in Climate, Investing in GrowthOECD Environment
The OECD report "Investing in Climate, Investing in Growth" shows that integrating measures to tackle climate change into regular economic policy will have a positive impact on economic growth over the medium and long term. A climate-friendly policy package can increase long-run output by up to 2.8% on average across the G20 by 2050 and if avoided climate damage are also taken into account, this rises to nearly 5%.
On 22 June 2017, OECD Environment Director Simon Upton presented key findings from the report during a Green Talks LIVE webinar.
Carlo carraro - Cities and the 1.5° Mitigation ChallengeEIT Climate-KIC
Carlo Carraro, President Emeritus of Universita' Ca' Foscari Venezia and Vice Chair, IPCC, presentation for the closing plenary at the Climate Innovation Summit, Milan, 2017.
Introduction to Environment & SustainabilityIsha Chaudhary
1.GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES, INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS
2.ARTICLES RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTS
3.GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS
4.GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES
5.FAMOUS ENVIRONMENTALISTS
UNDERSTANDING WHAT GREEN WASHING IS!.pdfJulietMogola
Many companies today use green washing to lure the public into thinking they are conserving the environment but in real sense they are doing more harm. There have been such several cases from very big companies here in Kenya and also globally. This ranges from various sectors from manufacturing and goes to consumer products. Educating people on greenwashing will enable people to make better choices based on their analysis and not on what they see on marketing sites.
WRI’s brand new “Food Service Playbook for Promoting Sustainable Food Choices” gives food service operators the very latest strategies for creating dining environments that empower consumers to choose sustainable, plant-rich dishes. This research builds off our first guide for food service, now with industry experience and insights from nearly 350 academic trials.
"Understanding the Carbon Cycle: Processes, Human Impacts, and Strategies for...MMariSelvam4
The carbon cycle is a critical component of Earth's environmental system, governing the movement and transformation of carbon through various reservoirs, including the atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living organisms. This complex cycle involves several key processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and carbon sequestration, each contributing to the regulation of carbon levels on the planet.
Human activities, particularly fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, have significantly altered the natural carbon cycle, leading to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and driving climate change. Understanding the intricacies of the carbon cycle is essential for assessing the impacts of these changes and developing effective mitigation strategies.
By studying the carbon cycle, scientists can identify carbon sources and sinks, measure carbon fluxes, and predict future trends. This knowledge is crucial for crafting policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions, enhancing carbon storage, and promoting sustainable practices. The carbon cycle's interplay with climate systems, ecosystems, and human activities underscores its importance in maintaining a stable and healthy planet.
In-depth exploration of the carbon cycle reveals the delicate balance required to sustain life and the urgent need to address anthropogenic influences. Through research, education, and policy, we can work towards restoring equilibrium in the carbon cycle and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.
Characterization and the Kinetics of drying at the drying oven and with micro...Open Access Research Paper
The objective of this work is to contribute to valorization de Nephelium lappaceum by the characterization of kinetics of drying of seeds of Nephelium lappaceum. The seeds were dehydrated until a constant mass respectively in a drying oven and a microwawe oven. The temperatures and the powers of drying are respectively: 50, 60 and 70°C and 140, 280 and 420 W. The results show that the curves of drying of seeds of Nephelium lappaceum do not present a phase of constant kinetics. The coefficients of diffusion vary between 2.09.10-8 to 2.98. 10-8m-2/s in the interval of 50°C at 70°C and between 4.83×10-07 at 9.04×10-07 m-8/s for the powers going of 140 W with 420 W the relation between Arrhenius and a value of energy of activation of 16.49 kJ. mol-1 expressed the effect of the temperature on effective diffusivity.
1. www.financialworld.co.uk February / March 2016 51
References
ABI (2015), UK Insurance & Long Term Savings Key Facts 2015.
Association of British Insurers, London. Available at:
www.abi.org.uk/~/media/Files/Documents/Publications/Public/2015/St
atistics/Key%20Facts%202015.pdf.
Allianz 2012, Nat Cat risk on the rise. Available at:
www.allianz.com/en/press/news/business/insurance/news_2012-11-
06.html/.
Botzen J, Aerts J and van den Bergh J (2009), ‘Willingness of
homeowners to mitigate climate risk through insurance’. Ecological
Economics, 2,265-2,277.
CISL (2015), Unhedgeable risk: how climate change sentiment
impacts investment. The University of Cambridge Institute for
Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge, UK.Available at:
www.cisl.cam.ac.uk/publications/publication-pdfs/unhedgeable-risk.pdf
Prudential Regulation Authority/Bank of England, The impact of
climate change on the UK insurance sector. Report , 2015.
Ranger N and Surminski S (2013), ‘A preliminary assessment
of the impact of climate change on non-life insurance demand
in the Brics economies’. International Journal of Disaster
Risk Reduction, 3, 14-30.
SurminskiS(2014),‘Theroleofinsuranceinreducingdirectrisk:the
case of flood insurance’. International Review of Environmental and
Resource Economics, 7 (3-4), 241-278. ISSN 1932-1473.Available at:
www.eprints.lse.ac.uk/60764/.
SurminskiSandEldridgeJ(2015),FloodinsuranceinEngland:an
assessment of the current and newly proposed insurance scheme in the
context of rising flood risk. Forthcoming. Available at:
lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/publication/flood-insurance-in-england-an-
assessment-of-the-current-and-newly-proposed-insurance-scheme-
in-the-context-of-rising-flood-risk/.
Swenja Surminski leads the climate risk and insurance
workattheGranthamResearchInstituteattheLSE.She
haspublishedwidelyandworkscloselywithindustryand
policy makers at a global level. Prior to joining LSE in
2010, she spent more than ten years in the insurance
industry working on climate and risks management,
includingrolesatMunichRe,MarshMcLennonandthe
Association of British Insurers
Fuelling the energy debate
Diana Kool discusses the potential impact of climate change on the global economy and
financial markets, focusing on energy sources and the growth of renewable forms
The recent floods in the UK have concentrated minds on the climate
change debate but the issues go beyond local politics. Whether or not
individual policy makers believe that climate change is taking place
– and that the world economy needs to adapt – the recent adoption of
the 17 sustainable development goals (SDG) and the agreement
reached at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris at
the end of last year signal a potential step-change in global climate
policy. They also signal changes in the global economy.
The SDGs propose targets for all countries equally, which include
tackling climate change, gender inequality and human rights
violations. In the past, developing countries were considered
primarily as passive recipients of world aid. That has changed. One
reason for this is that developing countries have gained much
influence in the negotiations during the past decade.They took centre
stage during the Paris climate talks, advocating stronger
commitments to carbon emission reductions.
Far from being passive, many developing countries are already
actively pursuing a low-carbon economy or have set out
commitments to do so in their “intended nationally determined
contributions (INDCs)” submitted before the Paris negotiations.
INDCs are what a country, given its domestic circumstances, aims to
do to combat climate change and limit future risks.
The thesis used to be that fossil fuels were the only path to
alleviating poverty and boosting economic growth in the “global
south”. Now it is being argued that their use would simply increase
climate volatility, thereby deepening vulnerability to poverty.
Widespread energy access and energy security are vital for
development. The World Energy Outlook 2015 estimates that 1.2bn
people worldwide are without access to electricity, of whom 700m
are in Africa, and that more than 2.7bn people rely on burning
biomass for cooking,
which causes harmful
indoor air pollution.
Those in developing
countries who do have
electricity are often
subject to an unreliable
supply and volatile
prices.The International EnergyAgency (IEA) suggests that between
250 kWh and 500 kWh a year should be sufficient for a newly
connected household.
According to World Bank data, countries with an income per
capita higher than $10,000 have an annual electricity consumption
of 3,880 kWh and more. Were developing countries to reach that
consumption figure a year per person, global electricity
production would have to climb 60 per cent. Were they to get to
one half of the US level, which was 13,240 kWh in 2011, global
electricity production would rise 130 per cent. With such a
potential surge in energy consumption, how that energy will be
generated, and financed, is a significant topic of debate. The
biggest question on everyone’s mind is whether or not COP21
will really mark the end of the fossil fuel era.
Developing countries
now have more
influence in climate talks
2. 52 February / March 2016 www.financialworld.co.uk
The developed world built its energy networks, and its wealth, on
coal, oil and gas. Some people have long argued that the “global
south” might leapfrog the stages of energy use seen in the north. That
idea was derided – until recently. Now it has begun to seem not only
possible for the “global south” to develop using renewable energy
but inevitable. If it does not happen, the economic cost could be
significant. Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, for
example, gave a speech in 2015 warning insurers and investors of the
potential losses of stranded assets and the costs of climate change-
related damages, sending shivers through the global market.1
Carney is not alone in his concerns about the potential impact of
climate change on the economy and on financial markets. A survey
by the New York-based Institute for Policy Integrity (IPI) showed
that many leading US economists believe economic models
underestimate the impact of climate change; they support climate
action in the form of carbon tax and green technologies.2
Of those
surveyed, more than three-quarters believed that climate change
“will have a long-term, negative impact on the growth rate of the
global economy”.
The basic question for economists, as the IPI survey pointed out,
is how to “balance the costs of action and the likely economic
damages from inaction”. There is already a transition to renewable
energy sources, particularly in developing countries. The World
Energy Outlook reports that renewable energy accounted for almost
half of all new power generation built in 2014 and Fatih Birol, IEA
executive director, commented upon the report’s publication that
renewable energy currently accounts for 60 per cent of new
investments. This is despite fossil fuel subsidies being four times
higher in G20 countries alone than subsidies for renewable energy
globally, according to the Overseas Development Institute. Moreover,
growth in demand for solar energy has not slowed and solar power
is becoming increasingly cost-competitive, even in the context of low
oil prices.
From the current low of 30 US cents per watt for solar power,
Deutsche Bank projects a further reduction in the cost of solar energy
generation of 40 per cent over the next four years.
According to the IEA,
these cost reductions and
the pledges made in the
INDCs will lead to nearly
45 per cent renewable
penetration by 2030 – up
from one-third today.3
It
should be noted that the growth of renewables has consistently
outperformed the IEA’s estimates and that this is also expected in the
future, particularly given the exponential growth rates that
technological innovation can drive.
In order to implement the INDCs agreed at the Paris conference,
an estimated $13.5tn in investment is required. It is unclear what
Climate change ‘will
have a negative impact
on global growth’
impact real scale in renewable energy technology would have on the
costs – it should make them lower – but there are concerns that many
of the world’s poor will continue to have to burn fuels such as coal,
especially in parts of Asia. A report, published in the Proceedings of
the NationalAcademies of Science (PNAS) supports this conclusion,
adding that ambitious climate change targets would probably become
unfeasible if such a trend persisted.4
Nevertheless, China and India,
the two biggest coal burners, have cited the use of coal – albeit using
more efficient technologies – in their INDCs. This has been widely
criticised and the World Bank has rejected the idea of coal as a
solution to ending poverty outright.
On the flipside, data collected by Bloomberg New Energy
Finance show that China was the biggest investor in renewables in
2014 and 2015 globally and India recently announced the
International SolarAlliance, committing itself to achieving 175GW
of renewable energy by 2022 and 350GW by 2030, compared with
36GW current installed capacity. The country aims to push total
power generation capacity from 275GW today to 850GW by 2030
to improve energy access and security for its population of 1bn.
Africa also aims to double its renewable energy in the next four
years, with the help of funding from France. During the Paris
climate talks, President François Hollande announced that France
would increase renewable energy investments in Africa to €2bn
between 2016 and 2020. These are positive signals, which could
imply that the IEA has underestimated the lure of renewables over
fossil fuels.
There are solid economic, social, political and environmental
reasons to opt for renewable energy, specifically in developing
countries. Where developed countries have to replace old energy
infrastructure, many developing countries have a great opportunity
to leapfrog to renewables. By so doing, they would avoid “locking
in” high-carbon technologies in long-lived plant, equipment and
infrastructure and also avoid the costs of the potential premature
retirement of such infrastructure were low-carbon policies to be
implemented. The “leapfrogging” is open to them because wind
and solar are easily deployable, something that is important in
countries that lack a large educated workforce and major
infrastructure. Solar and wind do have relatively high upfront
installation costs but they can generate power more cheaply over the
lifetime of a project and prices continue to fall.
Finally, renewable technologies operate at much higher energy
efficiency than coal or oil. The Copenhagen Centre on Energy
Efficiency estimates that investment in improved efficiency of
renewable energy generation and electrical machines and devices
could lead to a 25 per cent reduction in demand for energy by 2030
alone. According to the International Partnership for Energy
Efficiency Cooperation, more efficient heating and cooking
appliances, and the use of more efficient energy sources in industrial
processes such as concrete and steel production, represent a so-
called “hidden fuel” that has the potential to contribute to up to half
the savings in greenhouse gas emissions set by the G20.
A reduction in the cost of energy generation is not the only
important economic impact of renewables. A recent study
conducted by scientists from Stanford University showed that a
renewable energy transition could save further $25tn-$50tn a year
in health and climate costs, and that it could generate more than
1. Carney, M (2015), ‘Breaking the tragedy of the horizon – climate change
and financial stability’. Speech given 29 September. Available at:
www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Pages/speeches/2015/844.aspx.
2. Howard P and Sylvan D (2015), ‘Expert consensus on the economics of
climate change’. Institute for Policy Integrity, New York University School
of Law. Available at: www:policyintegrity.org/files/publications/
ExpertConsensusReport.pdf.
3. IEA/OECD (2015), Energy and climate change. World energy outlook
special briefing for COP21.
4. Edenhofer O, Jakob M, Steckel J C, (2015), ‘Drivers for the renaissance
of coal’. PNAS 112 (29), E3775-E3781.
CLIMATE CHANGE
3. www.financialworld.co.uk February / March 2016 53
22m more jobs globally than the
fossil fuel industry.5
Both factors are
particularly relevant to developing
countries because more jobs would
contribute to economic growth
and poverty alleviation. More
importantly, it is relevant because
most of the health and climate control
costs that would be expected to come
with a failure to tackle climate
change would fall to the most
vulnerable and least resilient
developing countries.
From a geopolitical perspective, it
makes sense for developing countries
to wean themselves off fossil fuel
imports, both to reduce their
dependency on others and to lower
exposure to geopolitical tensions.
Because renewables can operate off
the grid, countries can also use them
to extend energy access to their most
remote areas. With regard to the grid, an
oft-quoted concern with renewables such as
solar and wind power generation is that their
supply fluctuates and can cause grid instability.
Such challenges are more procedural than fundamental,
however. Improved battery capacity, power to gas systems, smart
grid solutions and new sources of energy-generation, such as plant
roots, algae and magnetic fusion, are already on the market or under
development and could solve the intermittency challenges. It should
also be noted that although coal, nuclear and shale gas can support
steady power generation, they require regular supplies of water to
do so, which can be a problem in water-stressed regions. Some
areas may see greater benefit in having lower demands on their
water supply than in having a lower risk of power outages.
A quiet revolution in renewable energy is already under way.
But current commitments to the energy transition as set forth in the
INDCs are not sufficient to keep warming levels under 2°C – the
target set out in Paris. That is why there are calls for subsidies and
investments to be moved – gradually – from fossil fuels to
renewables; for tax breaks for the big polluters to be eliminated;
and for a carbon tax or another measure to put a price on the
externalities from high-carbon energy generation to be adopted.All
of this will require investment in R&D to speed up innovation in,
and further reduce the cost of, renewable and efficient energy
technologies.
Why should rich, developed economies support that? Because,
as the economist Joseph Stiglitz has noted, where companies are
assessed on the basis of both their balance sheet and their income
statement, countries only put together an income statement – GDP.
GDP, however, does not capture what the World Bank calls “the
accumulation and sound management of a portfolio of assets –
manufactured capital, natural capital and human and social capital”.
At the same time, long-term sustainable development rests on
the preservation of our ecosystem and so on the measurement of
how well it has been managed, which is why we need to apply
measures of wealth that go
beyond GDP, in particular
“natural capital valuation”.
This approach gives more
economic clout to the
developing countries where
many of the world’s most
important ecosystems, such as forests, are located. Natural capital
makes up 36 per cent of their total wealth, according to the World
Bank. How much natural capital developed countries have is a
trickier question to answer and is discussed in the World Bank’s
Little Green Data Book.
Although low-carbon development is technologically feasible and
economically attractive for the “global south”, the Paris climate deal
and its INDCs are only the beginning. All countries will need to
continue to sharpen their ambitions, intensify their targets
and raise the speed with which they implement solutions about
climate change.
Diana Kool is a post-graduate researcher in
environment,politicsandglobalisationatKing’sCollege
London. She worked for the director-general enterprise
andinnovationattheDutchMinistryofEconomicAffairs
to stimulate Dutch innovative solutions to global
challenges. More recently she worked at the Green
EconomyCoalitionasapart-timeresearcher.Sheisnow
involved in setting up an EU-wide conference featuring
innovations, which will take place during the Dutch
presidencyoftheEU inthefirsthalfofthis year
5. Hanna V, Mormann F, Reicher D (2015), ‘A tale of three markets:
comparing the solar and wind deployment experiences of California, Texas
and Germany’. Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance, 17
November.
A quiet revolution in
renewable energy is
already under way